Shotlist

Ken Smith sez: A must-see. Broadway choreographer Gower Champion directed this stylized musical fantasy, in glorious fifties Technicolor, to push the Bell System's new color-coordinated telephones. A weird plot, strange characters, surreal imagery and lots of singing and dancing make for an extremely entertaining film.

Planning on the film began about a year ago, when new merchandising efforts to promote the new color handsets, speakerphones, kitchen phones and other products were just getting underway. The companies wanted to show the new products in a film, but subtly, noncommercially, and with sponsor identification kept to a very minimum.
Includes dancing through the kitchen, living room, and bedroom as the home magically modernizes before our very eyes.

Once upon a time, or maybe it should be twice upon a time, because this story begins where most stories end, there was a bit of excitement up on cloud seven. On this particular morning the head angel had called a conference to talk about Jeff and Mary and their guardian angel, Wilbur, was late! [heaven angels sets set design doors opening meetings deities gods]
Where is Wilbur? I have sent every cherub in the place out to look for him! Hiya fellas, let's get this show on the road. It's already on the road. I'm sorry, chief. We've got so many new clients, we'll have to open a new branch office.
These clients are your immediate concern. If you want to keep your license. Oh, yes sir, yes sir, yes sir, chief. Marriages are made in heaven, but there is followup work too. Jeff and Mary have been married for a year and they haven't had a real honeymoon yet. But everything's under control. They are starting on their honeymoon today.
That's what they think, too. But they are going to find out differently unless you get down there right away and take care of things! Something's come up? Something is coming up in exactly thirty seconds. Now get going. Yes sir, chief! Geronimo! [jumping diving falling]
Wilbur, Oh Wilbur. . . Yes Chief? Wilbur, make yourself invisible. Oh, I almost forgot. . . I'm sorry chief, but I've got to get organized. Besides, no one can see me up here. Yes sir, right chief. [falling cellular telephones phones mobile communications radio futurism shouting calling dialing conversations invisibility telephone antennas angels supernatural robes]
You got everything? Everything, including you. Well, let's go then. . . Hello. . . Jeff, this is Gordon. Well, hello Gordon and goodbye Gordon. Mary and I are just leaving. [angels angel dust transparency houses roofs ceilings couples magic living room suitcases kisses kissing telephones ringing]
Now wait a minute, something has come up. It can't come up. When I finished the score for the show you said that I could take Mary on our honeymoon. We've waited a year now and we're going. Now hold on, Jeff. It's Sonia. Her wishing number. The words are okay but she doesn't care much about the music. If we don't have a new tune by tomorrow morning she's not going to sign for the show. [offices arguments work meetings bosses coercion]
Look Gordon, rehearsals don't start for four weeks yet, and we're on our honeymoon. Now listen Jeff, if you don't come up with that new music, there won't be any show and there won't be any honeymoon. Now you can write a new melody in twenty four hours. There's no problem at all. You must have at least a dozen old tunes lying around. [coercion]
The wishing song? No problem at all. [disappointment depression cigarettes smoking ashtrays butts time-lapse]
No inspiration, darling? I couldn't write "The Farmer in the Dell" today. That temperamental ballerina. I'd like to. . . Take it easy. Look, it's way past dinner time and you haven't eaten lunch yet. I'm not hungry. I'll fix some coffee. [trays]
Yes? Hello, Mary? Yes Sonia. You tell Jeffrey, the dear boy, that I love his words, but I want more wishing in the wishing song. You are absolutely right. He couldn't agree with you more. He's working on it right now. It's almost finished. Goodbye. . . [piano playing telephones conversations divas singers cheeriness lying lies reaction shots anger hangups]
I wish I had a castle in the sky. Oh, way up high where bluebirds like to fly. A cozy little castle with a hundred rooms or more. Oh dear, someday, with stars for windows, clouds for rugs, a rainbow for a door. I wish. I just wish I had a decent kitchen. [kitchens laments wishes needs consumerism appliances singing solos Virginia Gibson refrigerators antiques twirls running water faucets dripping drips dancing stoves pilot lights matches wishes]
I wish. I wish the faucet wouldn't drip all day. I wish that refrigerator door would close and stay closed. I wish I had a stove whose pilot light was always lit. [angels angel dust magic futurism supernatural modernization futuristic Populuxe kitchens desire surrealism]
Furthermore, a kitchen phone at hand when friends call up to chat a bit. Hello, yes this is Mary. How are you, Vi? They say your kitchen dazzles every eye. A brand new sink, a built-in oven, a new refrigerator and a phone, a kitchen phone, a bright red phone. I've got to go. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. I'll call you later. [telephones wall phones ringing hangups hanging up conversations]
I wish my living room were all redone. New drapes, new rugs, oh this is fun. It's nice to have a telephone to blend with my new drapes and rug. A living room that's all our own. [entrances exits transitions dancing transformations surrealism twirls evening dresses magic tuxedos formalwear interior design desire consumerism skirts telephones fetishism pianos couples ecstasy]
The bedroom should be changed completely too. Perhaps a color scheme of gold and blue. New furniture and lots of room for all my clothes. On second thought I might try dusty rose. [interior design interior decoration bedrooms seduction women transformations surrealism]
A lady likes to have a chance to change her mind. I might like a yellow room with turquoise and white and maybe a telephone that lights up at night. I wish, I may, I wish, I might. [desire wishes red yellow telephones]
Hello, hello, they hung up. It was probably Gordon sitting there like a vulture. Call him back. Maybe I'll have it in a day or two but not tonight. I haven't got one idea left to rub against another. His line's busy. Well, try it again. If he and Sonia can't wait I don't care what they do. [telephones ringing]
Why don't we call him later. No, now. All right. Wait a minute, do that again. Yeah, yeah, why not? Yeah. Again, do it again. It works. Good. A waltz. [angels magic angel dust telephones blowing dialing reaction shots rhythm busy signals themes insight creativity fingers]
Hello, oh, hello Gordon. I've been trying to get Jeff. Sonia is here. How is it coming? Wonderful, do you want to hear something? You bet. I'll turn on the speakerphone. I want Sonia to hear it. Fine, listen to this.
I wish I had a castle in the sky. Oh, way up where the blue birds fly. A castle with a sky full of bright, shining stars for windows, clouds for rugs, a rainbow for a door. I wish I had a castle in the sky where we could watch the world go by with silver from the moonlight and gold from the sun in our own, just our own, wishing castle in the sky. [singing songs duets love dancing player pianos invisibility glasses]
I love it, such rhythm, such spirit, such vivace! That's it, kids, bring it in, Jeff, and go on your honeymoon. [dancing acrobatics tricks suitcases love happy endings]
Chief? This is Wilbur. Mission accomplished. I'll be right up. Right. [The End. A Jerry Fairbanks Production. The Bell System]

<BR>